Knitting-machine.



W. F. ROLSTON.

KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. 1910.

Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I [a ram for:

[paw/rd? W. F. ROLSTON.

KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 6,1910.

Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 w w Z W. F. ROLSTON. KNITTING MACHINE. APPLIUATION FILED mu 6, 1910.

Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W. F. ROLSTQN. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6,1910.

1,01 6,233. Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Mil/29550.5: 12214922222:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER F. 801181011, 0! EOC'KI'OBD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE 1'0 31738911, WILMI- ING comm.- Ol' ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION '01 ILLINOIS.

KNITTING-KAGHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 30, 1912.

To all whom it mayconcem:

Be it known that I, Warren F. ROLSTON, a, citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im rovement in Knitting-Ma chines, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to construct a. knitting machine in ich means are provided for placing a strain on the stockings while being knit, "said strain beingl variable or relaxed during the knitting of t e heel of the stocking. y

In the accompan ing' drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through a. straight knitting machine showing my improvements on'dot-ted line a Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a. partial side elevation. Fi 3 is arepresentation of the rollers and their. sup orts. Fig. 4 is a section on dotted line b '2. ,Fig. 5 is a section on dotted line a Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a.

section on dotted line d d Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a partial elevation and sectionshowing the means for v impnrting -nn intermittent.

rotary movement to the roller 25 on dotted line e e Fig.;10. Fi 8 is aside elevation of the ratchetwhee 42 end 7 bracket 43. Fig. 9 is a partial elevation'and section of the ratchet wheel 42, bra/ckct'43'and dog Fi 10 is a. side elevation ofone endof a knitting machine showing the-cen uses and means for gent-"intermittent rotary movement to the A let i The knitting machlne -ingthe *In'ain is of the well known strei t variety rend-com prises'the two needle ds 1; wit their opmti s a e for moaning m m t the knitting needles 2. .Pnttern' drums-3 are employed to controlthe throwing in and out of the needles during the process of knitting. One of the pattern drums is provided with a cam section 4 for spur-poseto appear. h'l inufter. Fromthe' base 5 of the machine extends crib fiito which is connected'a clamp '7 by the 'screws ;8.' Tothis clamp is pivoted an orm flon the. screw 10, end'its upper portion sup orts an 'ndjusting screw 11, audits upper en has anofiset portion 12 provided with a' lide-13,-- and a slot 14. To the arm 9 is pivoted a dog 15, the upper end of which contacts with the cam section 4. e The screw 11' rests in contact with the upper end of the dog 15.

to se state from To the end frames of the machine are secured two plates 16 and 17, and each is provided with an opening 18 .and a slot 19. A caip 20 covers the open end of the slot 19 and is formed with a screwrthreaded opening within which is turned a screw plug 21 held a ainst rotation by the lock nut 22. This p 11g 21 has a central opening 23. The trunnions 24 of a corrugatedfuoed roller25 are supported in the openings 18, and a spur gear wheel 26 is fixedly connected to one of the trunnions of this roller. The trunnions 27 of a corrugated faced roller 28 are supported in the slots 19, and a spur ar wheel 29 is fixedl connected to one o the trunnions of, t is roller. This spur gear 29 meshes with the spur gear 26, and as the spur gear 26 is positively rotated a rotary movement will be imparted to the spur gear 29 and to the roller 28. The shank 30, of a plunger 31 is locsted within the central opening of the in 21' and a. coiled spring 32 surrounds the s ank and resses ngainst the plunger, and holds it against one of the trunnio'ns 27 of the roller-28 to -which the s ur gear is connected and serves to hold tlie spur gear 29 in mesh with the spur gear 26. The shank 33 of the plunger 34 is located within the central opening of the plug .21, and a coiled spring 35, surrounds the shank and presses it against the plunger, and holding it against the other trunnion of the roller28. "This sp 35 in connection with spring 82 holds roller 28 yieldingly in contact for a little separated from the roller-T25. The shank 33. extends throughthe plug 21 endhasits end formed with an eye 36, A rod 37 has an eye-88 engaging the eye of theshank 33 and the other end of thisrod is in the form of a hook .39 which is lo'ceted in the slot :141and hole 13 of the'u'pper end or the arm 9. 7 By this rod, :1 connection is Ql' fi betweenthe section 4 of thepattern drum-and the spring actuated plunger :3

During-the recess of knittin the pattern drum :intennittent yrotated which will eiirryithe cam section 4. against the dog 15. causing no: more the arm'9 on ;its pivotal support which on the rod 37 and t it on thespringactnated plunger 34 there the roller 28 t e roller 25 at one end.

' e the machine is knitting the foot and leg of the stocking the roller 28 will contact with the roller 25 its full length, thereby exerting a strain on the stocking as it 1s drawn between the rollers. When the machine is knittin the heel of the stocking, the roller 28 wil separate from the roller 25 a portion of its len h so that the heel portion only will be he d between the rollers.

The means for imparting an intermittent rotary movement to the rollers 25 and 28, is operated by the reci rocating movement of the cam slide 40 to w ich is attached a camshaped finger 41. To the roller 25 is secured a ratchet wheel 42, and on the trunnion of this roller is pivotall mounted an arm 43. A spring actuated 0g 44 is supported by the arm 43 and engages 'the teeth of the ratchet wheel 42 and a retaining do 45 is supported by the main frame, an which also engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel 42 and holds it from backward movement. To the free end of the arm 43 is connected a spring 46, and the other end of this spring is adjustably connected to one end of a arm 47' by the screw threaded book 48. The lower end of the arm 47 is pivotally supported by the bracket 49 connected to the main frame. A finger 50 is fixedl connected to the lower end of the arm 4 so as to move therewith. To the free end of the finger '50 is connected a detent 51 which on gages a cam 52 supported by one of the pattern drums 3 and as the cam contacts with the detent the finger 50 will be moved which will also move the arm 47 and increase the tension of the spring 46, thereby rocking the arm 43 and causin the dog 44 to move the ratchet wheel 42. his sprin 46 moves the dog in one direction, and t e cam-shaped finger 41 contacting with a cam-shaped finr 53 extendingfrom the arm 43 wlllmove fie dog 44 downward so that it will engage another tooth of the ratchet wheel, and upon releasing it, the dog will be operated by the spring 46 to rotate the take up rollers. The cam 52, arm 47, and associated parts therefore, by varying the tension of the spring, varies-the strain or tension put upon the fabric by-the rollers.

I claim as my invention. 7 1. In a knittmg machine, the combination of means for knitting a stocking, two rollers, means for an intermittent rotary movement to the to ers, pattern devices, and means controlledby the pattern devices for permittin the, separation of the rollers at one end ereofr 2. In aknitt' with knitting an actin mova le toward and from each other, and means automatically controlled by said machine,=the combination atter'n mechanism, of cotake-upr0 ers thatare relatively mechanism for elfecting their said relative movement.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination with knitting and pattern mechanism, of coacting take-upv rollers that are relatively movable toward and from each other, a spring for relatively moving them in one direction, and means automatically controlled by the said mechanism for effecting their relative movement in an opposite direction.

4. In a knittin machine, the combination with knitting an pattern mechanism, of coactin take up rollers that are relatively mova is toward and from each other, a spring for relatively moving the rollers toward each other, an arm connected the spring, and a cam rotatable with the mechanism and operating against the arm.

5. In a knitting machine, the combination with the knitting mechanism, of take-up rollers associated therewith, means for rotatin the rollers, one of said rollers being mova le toward and from the other, a spring for urging the rollers toward said other roller, a swinging arm, a link connected with the arm and with the sprin for moving said sprin to relieve the rollers of the tension thereo a pattern drum, and'a cam carried by the pattern drum and operating on the arm to move the same and thereby compress the ring.

6. In a knitting machine, the combination with knitting mechanism, of coasting takeup rollers, means for rotating the rollers, and means for effecting the relative movement of the rollers toward and from each other at one end only.

7. In a knitting machine, the combination with knitting and pattern mechanism, of coacting take-up rollers, springs for yieldingly holding the rollers in coactin relation, and means automatically contro led b the mechanism for relieving the rollers at one and only of the spring tension.

8. In {knitting machine, the combination with knitting mechanism, of coacting take up rollers associated therewith, one of said rollers being movable toward and from the other, springs engaging said roller for urging it toward the other roller, a pattern drum, a cam movable therewith, an arm actuated by the cam, and a connection between the arm and one of the springs for relieving the tension on the roller atone end only.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribin'zjwitnesses.

WALTER F. ROLSTON. 

